It's a traditional Christmas dish for many Filipino families (people from the Philippines, in southeast Asia), and I can see why. It's delicious!
I listened to a lot of Christmas music this week. The scientists working in the chemistry lab were playing a long list of favorite Christmas songs while they worked, and the music traveled down the ship's hallway and into my office. The music created a very festive atmosphere!
We exchanged Secret Santa gifts on Christmas Day (December 25). The most common gift was snacks that aren't served at meals on the boat--things like chocolate and potato chips. I received a large stash of chips from my Secret Santa! I am very excited about this, because I didn't bring any chips with me.
I've been spending time every evening before I go to sleep reading a book called "The Outlaw Ocean" by Ian Urbina. It's amazing! Ian spent several years traveling aboard different types of ships and learning about ways people on the ocean break the rules. Reading it makes me thankful to be on a ship where everyone is kind to each other and working toward a good goal.
I didn't play a lot of games or sports because I work different hours than most of the other people on the boat. I start my day at 6:00 a.m. and finish at 6:00 p.m., but most of the scientists work from noon (12:00 p.m.) to midnight (12:00 a.m.) or midnight to noon. We don't get any days off for our whole two-month trip!
